Winter Iris
by noelswonderland
Summary: The most beautiful flower blooms even in the harshest of conditions. OC x Midorima
1. Prologue

**Author's Note:** Takes place at Shutoku. Originally written _months ago_, but thanks to Tomey's encouragement, I decided to go ahead and publish it. This will be another short series. Hope you enjoy the prologue!

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**Prologue**

Piano – he has heard it before, coming from this area of the school. There is really no reason for him to meander since practice has been cancelled. He could be in the gym by himself working on his shooting – doing something productive, at the very least. But he finds himself wandering through the halls, ears tuned for the melodic sound.

Just as he passes a half-closed door, he hears it start up again. Beethoven this time? His fingers twitch. His parents have been insistent on lessons since he was a child – something he has not been entirely adverse to, even if his primary interest is basketball.

He peeks in, mildly curious as to what kind of person is producing such stirring music. It carries such melancholy, of which he has never heard before. Particularly not with music that, on its own, seems so upbeat.

Through the crack in the doorway, all he can see is slender digits dancing across the keys, tapping lightly before moving on to the next. The hands are too feminine to belong to a man, he realizes immediately.

Although he knows it rude and pointless to linger, his feet do not carry him away at his command. He loiters despite himself. And in a short few moments, the hands that seem to be intently playing this sweet lullaby suddenly slam against the piano, causing a cacophony of distorted tunes that elicit a grimace from him.

"Who is out there?!" a voice demands angrily.

Considering it pointless to turn tail and run at this point, he cracks open the door and enters. The expression on his face is impassive as he peers over at the woman responsible for the music. What he sees is something unexpected, as he discovers he is on the receiving end of a rather harsh glare.

Her eyes are icy like winter. Not unlike Kuroko's, which immediate sours the tone of the conversation they are about to have. Almost habitually, he adjusts his glasses before matter-of-factly addressing her. "I was merely passing–"

"Oh, you're an underclassmen." Her voice seems to soften—surprisingly, and on the contrary, there appears to be a smile on her lips. If she seemed cold as winter before, now she suddenly seems as warm and inviting as summer. "Were you listening in this whole time? Oh, are you maybe... do you like me? You're not a stalker, are you?"

"You had the door cracked," he informs matter-of-factly, "And I was just passing by."

"Ah, I see, I see." She nods quickly, ringlets of ebony-black hair bouncing around her shoulders with the motion. "But isn't it strange for you to be wandering around the school, when classes have already ended? You're not someone from the student council, either..." Her eyes narrow with suspicion, yet the smile never leaves her lips.

"That is none of your business," he answers evenly.

Despite being rebuffed, she changes the tide of the conversation rather than seeming offended at all by how brusque he is. "I'm a third year, Suoh Ayame."

"Midorima Shintaro," he tells her in turn.

The brief introductions seem enough to sate her curiosity, if only for a moment. "Well, as much as I'd love to entertain you, I'm expected to practice for an upcoming performance. Since you're not part of the club, I trust you have no business lingering."

His eyes turn to the placard on the now open door, which he had not noticed earlier. Ah, so this is the music club. Although it seems odd for the room to only have one occupant when clubs are usually... His lips flat-line as he turns his gaze back to her.

"Oh? Are you here because you want to join? Well, I guess I can't say no if—"

"I have no interest in joining," he informs brusquely. With little purpose in subjecting himself to any more of her eccentricity, he decides it prudent to see himself out. The whole encounter leaves a bad taste in his mouth but it is easy enough to ignore.

The days pass quickly after that, and considering they are in entirely different years and classrooms – added to the fact that he purposefully avoids visiting that room – Midorima makes it impossible for them to encounter each other again. He falls into the normal routine of school with basketball practice after school. And the year starts passing uneventfully. That brief contact he had with that contemptible woman seems almost entirely forgotten. At least until the approach of the cultural festival...


	2. One

**One**

Those eyes are not unlike emeralds—the same shade of brilliant green as his hair. Yet they are sharp and condescending, staring down at her through those thick-rimmed spectacles. She is pretty sure that she has seen them before, but she cannot match a memory to the sense of familiarity she gets from them.

"Midorima, please take Suoh to the nurse's office," the teacher says with a sigh.

"I-I can take her!" another girl pipes in.

"No, Tanaka, you need to clean up the mess."

Ayame peers down at her hands, palms and fingers littered with narrow cuts. Her skin is discolored by the scarlet liquid. The stinging pain brings a numbing calm over her, and she lets out a shaky breath, as though relishing in the moment.

Her actions earn her a disproving – perhaps disgusted – stare from the green-haired man who has been left with the task of escorting her. Perhaps he begrudges the coincidence of the two of them being in the same hallway together. Although he is technically to blame for this whole mishap which happened just moments prior.

She had been carrying a glass bowl, and he had backed into her, knocking it from her hands. Despite instructions not to concern herself with the mess until a broom had been retrieved, she had taken it upon herself to purposefully gather the shards. It was no accident that she crushed them into her fists, creating the various wounds that now cover both of her hands. It seems as though no one else noticed, although she did catch those emerald irises peering down at her.

"You aren't going to say anything to the teacher? Going to pretend that it was an accident?" she probes with a hint of curiosity to her voice as she examines the self-inflicted wounds while the two traipse down one of the empty side hallways.

"For what purpose?" he counters.

A hint of a smile ghosts her lips as she strolls up beside him, peeking into his face. "Ah, you're the one from that time, aren't you? Peeping in on my piano playing?"

"I was hardly peeping," he snarks back. "You left the door open."

"So you do remember me. I made an impression." That remark earns her a quirked brow, as though he cannot fathom why she seems to be so proud of herself. Perhaps he is equally perplexed as to why she has purposefully wounded both of her hands so severely so as to require first aid. Ayame does not answer that unspoken question, however. She merely flashes him a grin.

When they arrive at the nurse's office, Midorima appears chagrined to discover that the nurse is out. Perhaps feeling responsible since the teacher has delegated the duty to him, he instructs Ayame to sit down while he retrieves the necessary bandages and antiseptic.

Ayame settles down on the edge of an unoccupied bed, staring down into her palms while she waits. The blood has begun to coagulate, leaving behind hideous splotches that mar her skin. She smiles to herself, as though proud.

"You won't be able to play piano."

The sound of his voice stirs her back to awareness and she beams up at him as he takes a seat on the opposing bed. "That is the point, right? I don't have to play piano. That's a relief."

"A relief..." He echoes her words with a furrowed brow but does not comment further. Instead he takes one of her hands in his and starts applying the necessary first aid. The medicine stings and earns him a grimace from her.

"You seem pretty good at this stuff," she commends facetiously. "Maybe you should think about being a school nurse and forget basketball."

The fact that she is aware of his status on the basketball team may come as a surprise, but if it does, his impassive facade does a good job of hiding it Instead he simply dismisses his work by saying, "This is simple first aid. Everyone should know how to do it."

"Well, then again, you cover your fingers in bandages all the time, so it only makes sense."

His gaze briefly flits between the wound that he is tending to and her eyes. The frown on his face does not disappear for a moment, however. He seems intent on finishing up so that he can leave as quickly as possible.

"Hey, that key chain–"

"Lucky item," he answers before she can even finish her sentence. "I always carry the lucky item of the day."

"Oho asa?" she guesses in surprise.

His eyes narrow as though he is surprised, or perhaps suspicious, that she knows of it.

Ayame's lips crease in another grin. "Ahaha, who knew that the shooting guard of our school was so superstitious? That's really cute, Shin-kun."

He flinches at the use of that nickname, and only a moment later she receives a glare for it – as though he does not see them on familiar enough terms for her to be calling him such. In order to emphasize that point, he even says, "Suoh-san. You should wait here for the nurse to take a look. I'm leaving." Perhaps he dismisses arguing the point of Oho Asa being superstition because she makes him uncomfortable. Whatever the reason, he seems eager enough to leave.

"You don't have to be in that much of a hurry, Shin-kun. Or would you prefer Shinta-kun?"

Rather than pay her antics any further heed, he disappears out the door while completely ignoring her. Ayame chortles to herself in his absence, admiring the work that he has done on her hands. The bandages seem perfectly wrapped, neither too tight nor too loose. "You're pretty good with your hands, Shin-kun," she mumbles to herself in admiration. "Green, huh... I like that. Green is my new favorite color."

—

"Ayame-chan, you're being called to the teacher's office." Tanaka is wearing that characteristic, perpetually worried expression on her face again. For a best friend, she has a bad habit of being overbearing and overprotective.

"I'm wanted, huh? Doesn't sound like it's good news. Well, thanks, Chiharu. I'll see you after school." Considering the day is about growing to a close, Ayame can guess she will be detained for the last twenty minutes that remain until the bell rings. She figures that she already knows what this is about anyways.

It is perhaps unlucky coincidence that when she arrives and is about to enter, the door suddenly swings open and nearly knocks her in the face. She takes a step back to avoid it, mildly surprised at the green hair that ducks out of the office.

"Ah, it's Shin-kun," she remarks with glee.

He does not look nearly as happy to see her. His expression remains stoic as he gazes at her momentarily, a stack of papers held in his hands. It seems as though he is being sent on errands for his class – not something particularly unusual with the advent of the cultural festival. "Suoh-san, I would prefer if you did not pretend that we are familiar in the hallways," he tells her.

Her forehead creases. "Hm? What's wrong with that? Are you embarrassed by me?"

"Suoh, is that you?" a teacher pipes in, peeking out from the opened door, where Midorima is still standing in the way of her entering. "Hurry up, your music advisor has been waiting for you."

"I can already tell this is going to be a pleasant conversation," she responds sarcastically, though the deceptive tone of her voice is probably enough to fool the teacher at least. Midorima does not look half as convinced, however.

"You... what is your sign?"

She can already guess as to why he is asking, and she finds herself grinning. "Of course it would only make sense if we're polar opposites, right? The sign that you should probably avoid like the plague today. The one that is coooompletely incompatible with yours." Although she exaggerates, he does not seem to discount that she is telling the truth. It is easy enough to see upfront that the two have little in common and that their personalities can easily conflict.

"I see... then you are..."

He is interrupted in the middle of his sentence as she brushes past him, nearly knocking the stack of paper from his hands. "Excuuuse me, Shin-kun~ I have a meeting, you know? I'll see you later though!" She gives him a stiff salute before laughing and disappearing within the teacher's office.

As soon as her advisor spots her, he motions for her to take a seat. "I heard you injured your hands today in an accident," he says gruffly. Judging by the expression on his face, he does not seem so inclined to believe that it was not self-sabotage she committed on purpose. That gives the impression that this is not the first time she has done such.

"Hm, that sounds right. An accident." She grins up at him as she settles into her seat.

"That's enough of your games!" he bellows back. "Your parents have placed all their time, effort, and money into this since you were a child! You are being groomed to enter the musical world as a prodigy – to go abroad where your talent can be recognized. Why must you insist on ruining it for yourself? On destroying all the effort that everyone has put into it to see that you will succeed?"

Her gaze wanders all across the room and she seems utterly content to ignore this entire lecture. Ayame has heard it dozens of times before. Being yelled at is like a routine; it is not a normal school year if she manages to get out of it without hearing the same spiel three or four times.

"Ayame!"

Everyone else in the office grows eerily silent at the sound of his yelling, but she seems completely unaffected. "Hm? What's up?" she responds, completely nonchalant.

"This next performance is the difference between whether you stay in Japan and flounder, or you go abroad and make a successful career. I don't want your immaturity and your insecurities to blow it. Stop holding yourself back, stop disappointing your parents. This is your final chance!"

"Good. I'm glad it's the last one. So then when I screw it up, you can't get mad anymore, because it will all be over. And my parents will finally give up on me—or who knows? Maybe they'll disown me. Can I go now?"

His exasperation can hardly be conveyed in words and he finally settles on breathing a reluctant, shaky sigh. It is obvious that he is barely containing his anger with her. This is neither the first (nor most likely the last) time he has grown livid with her antics. Finally he settles on his last words to her, "Fine, Ayame. You can go. But keep in mind that it is your life you are ruining and no one elses."

"That's nice. Bye-bye, Koyama-san." She gives him an exuberant wave and smile before marching out of the office. Yet as soon as the door slams behind her, all traces of cheer melt away and she seems almost crestfallen. It is only a moment of vulnerability and she is certain no one else sees it, at least until she lifts her head and finds Midorima standing in front of her.

He seems somewhat surprise, his eyes widened ever so slightly and brows arched. Although he just as quickly appears stone-faced again.

At first she wonders why he is loitering outside of the office again, but she soon spots a small piece of paper in his hand – a list? Apparently he is still running errands. She lifts her eyes to gaze into his. "Hm, you caught me, Shin-kun!"

Rather than play along, he merely sighs. "I have to deliver this to the office, Suoh-san. Move." He seems content to tack on that '-san' repetitively as though to remind her of the distance between them, to solidify the fact that they are nothing more than students in the same school. Senpai and kohai, though he does not refer to her as such.

"Hey, Shin-kun, your keychain fell on the floor!" She makes an animated show of pointing toward his feet where it has supposedly fallen.

Without questioning the validity of her words, he cranes his neck down and bends as though to retrieve it. It takes a moment for him to realize that the keychain is still, in fact, hooked to the jacket of his uniform. But by the time he realizes, it is already too late.

Ayame has closed the distance between them, grasping his collar to stop him from moving away. And their lips collide for a brief moment. It is rough and uncomfortable – at least on his part – although short enough that he has no opportunity to react.

"There," she declares triumphantly when she leans back. He can feel the warmth of her breath caressing his lips as she hovers close enough to his face that the tips of their noses are almost touching. "You can't pretend like we're strangers if we've kissed, right? I like you, Shin-kun. So let's see each other more often from now on."


	3. Two

**Author's Note:** Thank you guys for the reviews! I hope you enjoy this chapter! :D *returns to sobbing blood while working on NaNoWriMo*

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**Two**

"Since all club activities have been put on hold until the end of the festival, and your class has already finish their preparations, I was hoping you wouldn't mind assisting Suoh since she injured her hands. I heard you were the one who administered first aid while the nurse was absent."

She sniggers under her breath, if only because the sour look on Midorima's face as he receives this news amuses her greatly. But the moment she catches him glaring at her, Ayame sobers up and lets out a cough. "Actually, I specifically asked if you wouldn't mind helping me out... Midorima-san." She says his name in an almost sugary sweet voice. He knows well enough to see that she is mocking him, but the teacher remains oblivious.

Habitually, he adjusts his glasses while carrying the day's lucky item in his other hand. It appears to be a stuffed rabbit with a green scarf, though Ayame is not entirely keen on the significance other than assuming it must be in line with his Oho Asa horoscope. "Sensei, is this a request?"

"If you're trying to say you would like to refuse, then I'll say it this way, Midorima. I'm not asking."

As soon as they have established that he has been unwillingly roped into being Ayame's lackey for the rest of the week – although "assistant" is the technical term – the two excuse themselves from the teachers' office. Almost the moment they are out in the hallway where prying eyes won't see, Ayame snatches the stuffed bunny from Midorima's hands.

"Stuffed animals? I didn't picture you as the type," she remarks with a grin, examining the adorable child's toy. It appears brand new. Did he just buy it this morning?

He manages to pry it out of her hands and then promptly glowers at her. She is not sure if it is because of her incessant pestering or if he still has that kiss on his mind. Though he has not shown a hint of embarrassment over the act. In fact, he matter-of-factly informs her, "This is today's lucky item – a stuffed rabbit with–"

"Hm, okay. That's nice. So was that your first kiss? Have you kissed before? Do you have a girlfriend?"

His lips freeze. Then he starts to open and close his mouth like a fish swallowing water. It is a rather comical sight that leaves her smirking at him while he struggles to regain his composure. "I do not believe that is any business of yours, Suoh-san."

"I'm making it my business because I'm interested in you."

"Interested..." His brows furrow, and he seems convinced that she is making fun of him again. "Suoh-san, what work needs to be done before the end of the festival?" It seems that he is trying to weasel his way out of the conversation by changing the subject.

"Do you have a cellphone number?"

He breathes a sigh, reaching up to adjust his glasses again. "Suoh-san, there is only–"

"You sound too stiff, Shin-kun, let me help you out." She lifts herself up onto her tiptoes and snatches his glasses right off of his face. As though to be cute, she grins at him before slipping them on herself. "Ohh, you must have pretty bad vision, huh?"

"A-ya-me!" a shrill voice breaks in.

The girl's shoulders slump and she quickly takes the glasses off, only to realize that Midorima seems particularly perturbed. He snatches his spectacles from her and quickly readjusts them on his face. She offers him an apologetic smile that seems all too insincere.

"Ayame, where have you been? The teacher has been asking... wait. Isn't this the guy who...?"

"Ah, Chi-chan, meet Shin-kun. Shin-kun, Chi-chan. Now that the two of you are acquianted, you should know that I already asked permission for Shin-kun to take my place. Since I'm supposed to let my hands heal and all. So feel free to work him to the bone." The look she earns from Midorima seems to indicate that he may be contemplating strangling her at this point. Though perhaps that is only her impression.

"So you must be Midorima-san. I have already heard about you. You're Ayame-chan's latest obsession. For that, I feel like I already owe you an apology." As though she is used to these kind of situations, the short-haired girl gives a brisk bow before reaching toward her friend and grasping her wrist. "Come on, Ayame-chan. I have to keep an eye on you."

"Wait, but I told you that Shin-kun–"

"He can come along, but we have to get working. We don't have much time left. Now let's go."

Much to Ayame's disappointment, she finds herself dragged along and unable to further her harassment of Midorima. Chiharu keeps a close enough eye on her the entire time that she is rendered completely incapable of asking the green-haired man so much as a single question. In fact, she can hardly get a word in edgewise before she finds herself whisked off and put on some new, menial task that requires little more than a few brain cells.

"Chi-chan~" she whines, finally fed-up with the boring legwork.

"Don't start complaining when Midorima-san is doing your half of the work – the work _you_ should have been doing."

"Tch, but this is boooring~"

"It's almost lunch time. You can hold out until then. No breaks before that."

For every complaint that escapes her lips, she is given no reprieve under the dictatorship of Chiharu. Escape proves equally impossible and she dsicovers that there really is no break until the bell finally rings, at which point Midorima seems content to excuse himself without a word. Ayame, on the other hand, is not so easily rebuffed.

"Chi-chan, I'll go get drinks."

"Liar, get back here!" she bellows after the impish girl.

Ayame, in turn, pokes her tongue out before taking flight down the hallway, disappearing amongst a crowd of her peers. Once she has safely put some distance between herself and Chiharu, she figures she should scour the lunch room to locate Midorima. "Green should be pretty easy to spot, right?" she reasons to herself.

Locating him proves more difficult than anticipated but she does eventually find him, occupying a table with one other individual whom she does not recognize. A dark-haired man with a skeevy look on his face. (Granted that is only her one-sided impression.)

"Shin-kun~" she chirps as she plops herself down in the seat immediately beside him. "You ran off so quickly it was hard to find you, you know. So mean~"

"Oh? An upperclassman?"

"Takao," Midorima states suddenly as she sets his chopsticks down and abruptly takes to his feet. There seems to be something of a warning in the glare he gives the other man before he starts to leave, as though purposefully avoiding Ayame.

She sulks for a moment, bottom lip protruding in a child-like pout as she peers over at his friend. "Is he always like this? So cold..."

"Hmm, Midorima is a tsundere, after all. Good luck, Senpai." He offers her a grin that seems to say 'this is none of my business' before returning to his curry.

It seems quite clear that further communication with this person will not be conducive to her aim. Better to tail after Midorima, she figures. Ayame gives him a hearty wave before taking off after the green-haired basketball player, whose brisk pace proves difficult to match. Eventually she finds herself forced to jog to keep up with him.

"Shiiiiin-kun~ what's the hurry? Where are you trying to go?"

He finally halts, at which point she nearly plows right into the back of him. The scowl he gives her when he turns to face her is a little startling, but she beams up at him all the same. Midorima, in turn, adjusts his glasses with a single finger. "Suoh-san, we have an association only because of the teacher."

"Aw, that's boring. I want to get to know you. Let's be friends."

"No," he answers all too quickly. "You are annoying. Stop clinging to me. I have no desire to be friends with you."

"Rude~" she says, lips puckered in a frown. "It's okay if you don't like me right now. Even if you think I'm annoying, I don't mind. Just let me hang around you for a little bit then you'll see. I can make you like me."

"Refrain from following me any further, Suoh-san," he says in a clipped voice, as though entirely ignoring her request.

Although appearing outwardly dejected, Ayame does not seem to be particularly dissuaded by his prickly exterior. In fact, even as she watches him traipse off, she just lingers behind with a contemplative look on her face. "Hm, he is going to be a tough one to crack, huh? How fun!"

—

"Can you take this to the storeroom outside, Midorima-kun? Sorry for the inconvenience." Contrary to her best friend, Chiharu looks genuinely apologetic as she passes over the heavy box. "Ah, also, there's something I need you to bring back from there. Ayame-chan can make herself useful for once by going with you and showing you what to get."

Upon hearing that, Ayame is quick to peel herself away from the other work that Chiharu has kept her occupied with. "Yes, Sir!" she coos, giving Chiharu a military salute before marching toward the hallway, pausing only to make sure that Midorima is following her.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Chiharu mumbles to herself as she watches the two.

It does not take long for them to make their way to the storeroom. Putting the one box away proves easy enough as well, but despite Chiharu's assurance of how "helpful" Ayame will be, Midorima ends up being the one rummaging through various materials trying to find exactly what has been requested.

"Ohh, the wind is blowing really hard. Is there going to be a storm? Ah, it would be really unlucky if the door just happened to slam and–"

As though her words are a hex, a furious gust manages to hit the open door with enough pressure to knock it free from the wooden block that had been propping it open. Noisily, it slams on the two, and suddenly the entire storage room is bathed in darkness with only dim light spilling in from a high-up, narrow window.

"Hm. So I guess we are unlucky."

"..."

"Shin-kun? Is something wrong?"

"Your horoscope for the day," he mutters.

"Ah, that. I did read it this morning. It was supposed to be kind of bad. Haha, I guess I kind of rubbed off on you, huh?" Although it is too dark to see, she can easily guess that he is glowering at her from wherever he is standing. "Maybe I should have brought a lucky item, too?"

There is a long, drawn-out sigh from Midorima before he commands, "Open the door."

"Ahaha, even if you say that... it's locked."

"Suoh-san."

"Yup?"

"Do you mean to say... you only propped it open with that wooden block, while knowing the speed of the wind, knowing it would lock on us if it closed?"

"Well, I wouldn't put it like that, but... I can't exactly say I didn't know, either."

"I should have paid more attention to my horoscope. It said to avoid..." he mumbles to himself through the darkness. She cannot really hear exactly everything he is saying, although it obviously has to do with some forewarning from Oho Asa. Considering that Ayame has never really bought into the whole horoscope nonsense, she largely ignores what he is saying.

The dark-haired girl drums her bandaged fingers together as she studies the door through the darkness. Being trapped with Midorima is not necessarily a bad thing, granted, but she will end up with an earful from Chiharu if they don't make it back quickly. "Ah, I know! I can just use my – waaaah!" Considering the cramped state of the room, moving is probably the least advisible course of action, and when she steps forward she finds her path blocked by boxes. Moments later she tumbles to the ground, having lost her footing. "Ow, ow, ow."

There is some rustling elsewhere in the storeroom, though she hardly pays it any attention, at least until she feels two strong hands that help lift her from the ground. "You're not hurt?" he asks gruffly.

Ayame blinks slowly. It is only through the dim illumination in the room that she can narrowly make out the expression on his face. He seems annoyed and most likely begrudging his negligence with Oho Asa in regards to the situation, but she finds herself grinning. "You're unexpectedly sweet after all, Shin-kun, I knew I was a good judge of character. You're definitely the one for me, after all."

"Idiot. Stop spouting nonsense. We need to get out of here."

"Mmhmm~" Although he is scolding her again in that harsh voice of his, she can't help but grin. At first her interest had been mostly superficial but she is beginning to be genuinely interested in the curiosity that is Midorima Shintaro. "Ah, I think I can call Chiharu on my cellphone and she can open it for us."

"You should have done that in the first place," he remarks with a sigh of frustration.


End file.
